U.S. Litigation Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney
New York, DC, Remote
Litigation /
Full-Time /
Hybrid
Opportunity
IRAP is seeking an attorney with 5 to 9 years of legal experience to join the U.S. Litigation Department. An attorney with 8 or more years of legal experience will be considered a Senior Staff Attorney if successful in the application process. The attorney will be supervised by one of the department’s supervising attorneys.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning September 3, 2024. Interested candidates who wish to have their application considered on an earlier timeline should apply sooner and indicate their time constraints in the application questionnaire.
IRAP’s U.S. Litigation Department brings innovative court challenges in U.S. courts to address systemic issues affecting refugees, asylum seekers, and others in need of a safe home. Information about our current cases can be found at https://refugeerights.org/litigation/.
Responsibilities
- Manage, supervise, lead, and engage in all aspects of litigation and litigation-related advocacy as appropriate for level of experience, including case development and filing, legal and factual research, client counseling and interviews, motions practice, discovery, resource creation, policy advocacy, and media advocacy. IRAP’s U.S. Litigation Department develops and brings a range of cases in lead counsel capacity, including Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional challenges, class actions, FOIA, and mandamus cases.
- Collaborate with IRAP staff members in other program departments to ensure that litigation is supporting and leveraging the work of other departments, including policy, legal services, and communications.
- Represent IRAP in external relationships, including with other advocates, pro bono firms, media, and donors.
- Participate in tasks that support the organization, including by joining hiring committees, participating in cross-departmental task forces, and providing feedback on organization-wide issues.
Qualifications
- Law degree and license to practice law in the U.S. state from which the candidate will perform work for the position. If a candidate is moving to New York for the position and is not already licensed to practice in New York, willingness to apply for the New York bar as soon as practicable.
- Five to nine years of relevant legal experience after law school that prepare the candidate to counsel clients, manage litigation-related projects, draft complex briefs, initiate and lead litigation (with appropriate support based on experience level), and develop additional complex litigation skills.
- Commitment to teamwork. Ability to work collaboratively and communicate clearly and respectfully with people of different backgrounds, including IRAP staff across the organization, other advocates, and pro bono firms. Eagerness to support team members as needed.
- Commitment to centering displaced people and equity principles in our work. We encourage applications from attorneys with lived experience of displacement and/or marginalization.
- Openness to accepting and providing constructive feedback.
- Ability to manage competing deadlines and work on fast turnarounds when needed; write coherently and incorporate feedback, with an interest in developing writing skills and producing good writing; identify, analyze, and research complex issues; problem-solve creatively and adopt creative approaches to case development and advocacy; communicate with clients in a culturally sensitive and ethical manner.
- Excellent oral and written English communication skills. Additional languages are a plus, particularly Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Haitian Creole, Pashto, Somali and/or Spanish.
- Prior experience working with marginalized and/or displaced communities and using interpreters for client communications preferred.
- Familiarity with the Immigration and Nationality Act, refugee processing, and/or a practical understanding of immigration law are a plus.
Location: The candidate will work in one of IRAP’s U.S. offices in New York City or DC, but remote work candidates will be considered.
Compensation
This role is paid on a step scale based on years of work experience, education and internal equity. The salary will be between $90,525 - $105,009. May be subject to a collective bargaining agreement.
Application Instructions
To apply, please submit:
- Cover letter explaining interest in IRAP, including any personal or professional connection to marginalized and/or displaced communities
- Resume, including a listing of bar admissions and language skills
- List of three references
- Writing sample, preferably a legal brief or a complex legal memorandum written by the applicant. Please explain the context if the writing sample was edited by others.
Benefits
IRAP’s benefits vary across office locations, and IRAP seeks to offer equitable and generous benefits to all employees. IRAP’s U.S. benefits include:
- Fully paid family health insurance
- Retirement options
- Extensive PTO (20 or more vacation days & 19 org-wide holidays)
- Comprehensive leave time for sickness
- Disability and parenting (5 months of parental leave)
- Reimbursement for work from home equipment
- Generous opportunities for professional development
IRAP is an equal-opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. IRAP does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, citizenship status, ethnic background, religion, political orientation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We consider all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of all local, state, and federal laws related to the Fair Chance Act.
